For millennials, the unemployment rate in September hit 11.8percent, according to Generation Opportunity, a nonprofit,nonpartisan organization that mobilizes young Americans regardingeconomic issues.

Among African-American millennials in September unemploymentreached 21 percent while it reached 12.1 percentfor Hispanics and 11.6 percent for female millennials,Generation Opportunity finds. Because of the declining labor forceparticipation rate, there are now 1.7 million millennials whoare not considered unemployed by the U.S. Department of Labor. Thissuggests that those millennials are not looking for work because ofthe few available jobs, and if the labor force participation ratewere calculated, millennial unemployment would jump to 16.6percent.

"These numbers tell a devastating story – a story we cannotafford to ignore or hope away,” says Generation OpportunityPresident Paul T. Conway, former Chief of Staff of the UnitedStates Department of Labor and former Chief of Staff of the UnitedStates Office of Personnel Management. “The risk is far too high asthe promise of America is slipping past an entire generation. Asfellow citizens, we have an obligation to act, to createopportunity and to offer real hope and independence to youngAmericans. What adds to the gravity of today's report is thecurrent administration's casual dismissal of the facts and theirstubborn insistence on moving forward with the same policies of thelast three-and-a-half years regardless of the consequences.

"Young Americans know this is not fair, and they are asking whythe White House continues to push policies that are moving thembackward. They want solutions, not slogans, not excuses, not emptypromises. As young Americans watch the candidates lay out theirplans and prepare to vote this November, they are making up theirminds based on issues and who lays out the best plan for theeconomy to create jobs and allow the growth of opportunity, so theycan fulfill their hopes and dreams for the future. As theelection nears, we continue to encourage all young Americans notyet registered to vote to register now while they still havetime."

Generation Opportunity also finds in a recent poll that 76percent of Millennials plan to vote in the presidential election.Another 29 percent of respondents say Washington’s economicpolicies are helping them while 47 percent of respondents believethe policies are hurtful.

Among the respondents, 38 percent believe political leadersrepresent young Americans’ interests, and 76 percent say the middleclass is reducing because of fewer job opportunities. Sixty-fourpercent of respondents say the availability of high-qualityfull-time jobs upon graduation trumps lower student loan interestrates regarding importance while 61 percent of respondents say theavailability of more high-quality full-time jobs with healthinsurance plans ranks above the ability to stay on their parents'health insurance plans until they are 26 in importance.